Grounding device



Nov. 14, 1939. w. D. HAMER GRGU NDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 4, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 14, 1939. w 3 H M R 2,179,720

GROUND :NG DEVICE Filed Nov. 4, 1955 s She ets-Sheet 2 vi/vro/a M44 MM 2. HA MEB ATTOE/YEV Nov. 14, 1939. w HAMER 2.179.720

' GROUNDING DEVICE Filed NOV. 4,. 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 GROUNDING DEVICE William D. Hamer, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,066

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrical grounding devices, and more specifically to an improved grounding device adapted for use in grounding power transmission lines, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a device of this type which, because of its unique construction, arrangement, and manner of use, is capable of extremely safe application to power lines, and when so applied will perform its intended function with the maximum efficiency.

Prior to this invention various devices have been employed for grounding power transmission lines, and in so far as I am aware all. of these previously used grounding devices included rather long shorting chains and cables which when in use looped downwardly, and when charged constituted a menace to the safety of linemen and others whose duties required them to work in close proximity to the grounding devices. lhe outstanding feature of the present invention is that the shorting conductors thereof are wound on spring-controlled, rotary reels in such manner that when the shorting conductors are drawn or unwound from the reels for attachment to power lines, said shorting conductors are always maintained under tension and in a taut condition. Thus the menace occasioned by the presence of loosely hanging shorting conductors is entirely eliminated, and danger to linemen is very greatly reduced.

The improved grounding device disclosed herein includes other important features of improvement described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the improved grounding device in use;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved device;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line -l-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a section on line 'l-l of Fig. 6.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved grounding device generally. The device A includes a centrally located clamping unit I provided with an upper portion 2 having an overhanging, forward portion 2 which is adapted to be passed over a power line to which the grounding device is to be applied. The upper portion 2 of the clamping unit I is provided with a transversely extended seat 3 for the reception of a power line, as shown to the best advantage in Figs. 4, 5, and '7. It is to be noted that the outwardly extended, forward part 2 of the upper portion 2 is inclined downwardly slightly (see Figs. 4 and 7), and the inis a portion 2* which merges into a vertically disposed body portion 4, from the lower end of which a horizontally arranged extension 5 is projected (Fig. 4). The extension 5 is provided with a screw-threaded opening 5 formed therethrough, and arranged in this screw-threaded opening is an externally screw-threaded line-clamping element 6 which is capable of being screwed toward and from the seat 3. The clamping element 6 is preferably, though not necessarily, hollow and at its lower end a stem 1 is provided, said stem being provided with a transversely extended opening 8 in which a pair of balls 9 is located. The metal at the opposite ends of the opening 8 is peaned inwardly so as to reduce the diameter of the openings at said opposite ends of said opening in order to prevent displacement of the balls from the opening, and a coil spring I0 is interposed between said balls, said coil spring tending to urge the balls outwardly so that portions of the balls project beyond opposite faces of the stem. The stem I is adapted to receive a suitable tool so that the clamping element 6 may be rotated with the 'aid of said tool to adjust said clamping element toward and from the seat 3, the projected portions of the balls 9 engaging said tool in a manner to maintain engagement of the tool and the stem.

Disposed at opposite sides of the clamping unit I is a pair of disk-shaped plates l! which are preferably, though not necessarily, formed integrally with said unit as shown in Fig. 6, said clamping unit including tapered strengthening ribs I l which extend beyond the peripheral edges of the plates H to provide ears [2 (Figs. 2 and 4.). Extended outwardly from the plates II are shafts l3 which by preference are formed integrally with the plates, said shafts being provided with outer portions l3 of reduced diameters. Associated with each of the plates H is a cylindrical housing M which is provided with extensions M and l said extensions being provided with apertures through which extend fastening devices l5 that secure the housing to the ear l2 and to a part of the clamping unit i. The inner portion of the housing i t embraces the edges of the plates ii, and each housing is provided with an outer wall i l provided with an aperture M which receives the reduced portion it of the associated shaft i3 (Fig. 6).

Mounted for rotation on each shaft is and located within the associated housing M is a reel l6 which is provided adjacent to its outer side with an annular cavity ill which is open at the circumferential face of the reel, as shown in Fig. 6. inwardly of this annular cavity ii the reel it is provided with an annular circumferential wall l8, within which a circular opening it is provided. Arranged within the circular opening iii of each reel in is a spiral spring 26 which is secured at one of its ends to the associated shaft it, as inicated at 26 in Fig. 7, said spiral spring being secured at its opposite end to the circumferential wall it of the reel by suitable fastening as indicated at Zll in Fig. 7. Also, each reel has arranged spirally within the annular cavity ll thereof a shorting conductor 25 (see 5). which is secured at its inner end to the reel, as indicated at it. At its outer end each shorting conductor 2! has fixed thereto a terminal element 22 which includes an inclined extension 22' that combines with the main body portion of the terminal to provide a wedge-shaped cavity 23. Also, each terminal element 22 is provided with an opening 24 of suitable shape, for instance, that shape illustrated in Fig. 3, which is adapted to receive a part of an insulated stick or other tool so that the shorting conductor associated with the terminal element may be drawn outwardly and unwound from its reel when the grounding device is being applied to power lines.

It will be noted that the inner portion of each terminal element 22 is of less width than the outer portion of said terminal element (see Fig. 3), and when the shorting conductors 2! are Wound completely on the reels in these narrower, inner portions of the terminals extend through openings 25 formed through the circumferential Walls of the housings i i and into the interiors of said housings, as shown in Fig. 5. The terminal elements are each provided with shoulders 22* at the point where the narrower portions and wider portions thereof meet, and the shoulders 22? of the terminal elements contact with the outer faces of the housings adjacent to the openings 25. and thus serve as stops which limit inward movement of the terminal elements through the openings 25.

Associated with the clamping unit I at the rear thereof is means 25 for clamping a ground wire to said clamping unit. This means comprises a clamping plate 22' which is secured to the clamping unit by a bolt 28 and a nut 29. The portion of the clamping unit l is provided with a rectangular opening til, which communicates with a smaller opening 3! of circular cross-section also formed in said portion l of the clamping unit i, the clamping plate 2? likewise being provided with opening 32 of circular cross-section which is alined with the opening 39 formed in the portion l of the clamping unit. The bolt 28 is preferably provided with a square head which is dis posed in the opening to, and the shank portion of said bolt is extended through the alined openings 3i and with the nut 29 mounted on the shank portion of said bolt. The rear face of the portion i of the clamping unit and the inner face of the clamping plate 21 are provided with complementary, curved depressions 4' and 21', which combine to produce circular wire-receiving openings as shown in Fig. 3, and ground wires 33 are introduced into these openings and are clamped in place therein by screwing the unit 29 inwardly on the bolt 28 to force the clamping plate 27 toward the rear face of the portion 4 of the clamping unit I.

The procedure in shorting out a circuit with the aid of the improved device is as follows:

Assuming the circuit is a three phase circuit, the first step is to fuzz out the line, as it is described in the language of the industry, to make sure that the line is dead. The device is then applied to the center phase of the circuit by hooking the forward, upper portion of the clamping unit 6 over the line and moving the device to such position that the line is seated in the transverse seat 3 of the device. The device is applied to the line as described with the aid of an insulated stick or other suitable tool, which is arranged in engagement with the stem 7, and after the device has been properly associated with the line the clamping element 6 is screwed upwardly with the aid of the insulated stick, so as to tightly clamp the line between the top of the clamping element ti and the seat 3. The shorting conductors 2! are then drawn outwardly with the aid of insulated means provided with extensions adapted for insertion in the openings 24 of the terminals 22 of said shorting conductors, and the inclined extensions 22 of said terminals are hooked about the opposed outer phases L and L of the circuit, as shown in Fig. 1. This shorts out the circuit, and the ground wire 33, which has been previously clamped to the device, is connected to a suitable ground, as illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein 34 designates the ground and 35 designates a clamp by means of which theground wire is connected to the ground, so as to ground the circuit.

It is important to note that the tension exerted by the spiral springs 28 is increased as the shorting conductors 2i are drawn outwardly, due to the fact that rotation of the reels it in response to unwinding of the shorting conductors tightens or winds up the spiral springs. Because of this the shorting conductors are at all times maintained in a taut, tensioned condition, this tension being greater as the distance of extension of the shorting conductors is increased. Also, when the shorting conductors are drawn outwardly and are in engagement with the outer phases of the circuit, the tension produced in the shorting conductors by the spiral springs draws the wedgeshaped walls of the spaces 23 into close electrical contact with the lines to which the terminals are connected, and because of the wedge-shaped formation of said spaces 23 lines of different diameters may be received thereby.

If for any reason it should be desired to increase the tension of the spiral springs 20, the fastening devices it may be removed and the housings I l rotated to accomplish this purpose. Such rotation of the housings rotates the reels it to tighten the spiral springs, due to the fact that the shoulders 22 of the terminals 22 associated with the shorting conductors contact with the outer faces of the housings, hence rotary movement of the housings is transmitted to the reels through the shorting conductors. When the housings are rotated as described to increase the tension of the spiral springs, the housings are rotated one or more complete revolutions so as to position the housing openings 25 in their proper positions for horizontal extension of the shorting conductors. If, however, it is desired for any reason to locate the housing openings 25 in positions other than those illustrated in the drawings, the housings may be rotated one-quarter, one-half, or three-quarters of a revolution. To aid in the accomplishment of this purpose, the plates II are provided with additional ears I2 which extend beyond the circumferential face of the plates to which the housings may be secured by the fastening devices [5.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced housings, a clamp by which said housings are supported, said clamp being disposed between said housings and being extended beyond said housings in one direction, a shaft arranged in each of said housings, a reel supported for rotation within each housing on the shaft therein, a conductor wound on each of said reels and adapted to be drawn therefrom for connection to an electrical conducting element, said reels being in electrical connection with said clamp and said conductors being in electrical connection with said reels, said housings being provided with openings in walls thereof with the opening of one housing located at one side of the device and the opening of the other housing located at the opposite side of the device, said housings being supported for rotary adjustment with respect to said clamp to change the locations of said openings, said conductors being movable through said openings, means for connecting a conductor tosaid clamp, and spring means associated with each of said reels which tends to rotate the reel in the reverse direction to the direction in which said reel is rotated when the conductor thereon is unwound therefrom.

2. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced housings, a clamp by which said. housings are supported, said clamp being disposed between said housings and being extended beyond said housings in one direction, a shaft arranged in each of said housings, a reel supported for rotation within each housing on the shaft therein, a

conductor wound on each of said reels and adapted to be drawn therefrom for connection to an electrical conducting element, saidreels being in electrical connection with said clamp and said conductors being in electrical connection with said reels, said housings being provided with openings in walls thereof ,with the opening of one housing located at one side of the device and the opening of the other housing located at the opposite side of the device, said housings being supported for rotary adjustment with respect to said clamp to change the locations of said openings, said conductors being movable through said openings, means for connecting a conductor to said clamp, and spring means associated with each of said reels which tends to rotate the reel in the reverse direction to the direction in which said reel is rotated when the conductor thereon is unwound therefrom, parts of the conductors wound on said reels being adapted to engage said housings so that rotary adjustment of the housings will rotate the reels and thereby vary the tension of the spring means associated with said reels.

WILLIAM D. HAMER. 

